אִיּוֹב 30

1 וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀ שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ עָלַי֮ צְעִירִ֥ים מִמֶּ֗נִּי לְיָ֫מִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַ֥סְתִּי אֲבֹותָ֑ם לָ֝שִׁ֗ית עִם־כַּלְבֵ֥י צֹאנִֽי׃

But now, those younger in years scorn me, whose fathers I would not have seen fit to place with the dogs of my flock,

2 גַּם־כֹּ֣חַ יְ֭דֵיהֶם לָ֣מָּה לִּ֑י עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו אָ֣בַד כָּֽלַח׃

the strength of whose hands was nothing to me, and they were considered unworthy of life itself.

3 בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שֹׁואָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃

They were barren from poverty and hunger; they gnawed in solitude, layered with misfortune and misery.

4 הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים מַלּ֣וּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂ֑יחַ וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ רְתָמִ֣ים לַחְמָֽם׃

And they chewed grass and the bark from trees, and the root of junipers was their food.

5 מִן־גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו כַּגַּנָּֽב׃

They took these things from the steep valleys, and when they discovered one of these things, they rushed to the others with a cry.

6 בַּעֲר֣וּץ נְחָלִ֣ים לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן חֹרֵ֖י עָפָ֣ר וְכֵפִֽים׃

They lived in the parched desert and in caves underground or above the rocks.

7 בֵּין־שִׂיחִ֥ים יִנְהָ֑קוּ תַּ֖חַת חָר֣וּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃

They rejoiced among these kinds of things, and they considered it delightful to be under thorns.

8 בְּֽנֵי־נָ֭בָל גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י בְלִי־שֵׁ֑ם נִ֝כְּא֗וּ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

These are the sons of foolish and base men, not even paying any attention to the land.

9 וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃

Now I become their song, and I have been made into their proverb.

10 תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי רָ֣חֲקוּ מֶ֑נִּי וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י לֹא־חָ֥שְׂכוּ רֹֽק׃

They loathe me, and so they flee far from me, and they are not reluctant to spit in my face.

11 כִּֽי־יִתְרֹו (יִתְרִ֣י) פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃

For he has opened his quiver and has afflicted me, and he has placed a bridle in my mouth.

12 עַל־יָמִין֮ פִּרְחַ֪ח יָ֫ק֥וּמוּ רַגְלַ֥י שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ עָ֝לַ֗י אָרְחֹ֥ות אֵידָֽם׃

Immediately, upon rising, my calamities rise up to the right. They have overturned my feet and have pressed me down along their way like waves.

13 נָתְס֗וּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י לְהַוָּתִֽי יֹעִ֑ילוּ לֹ֖א עֹזֵ֣ר לָֽמֹו׃

They have diverted my journeys; they have waited to ambush me, and they have prevailed, and there was no one who might bring help.

14 כְּפֶ֣רֶץ רָחָ֣ב יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ תַּ֥חַת שֹׁ֝אָ֗ה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃

They have rushed upon me, as when a wall is broken or a gate opened, and they have been pulled down into my miseries.

15 הָהְפַּ֥ךְ עָלַ֗י בַּלָּ֫הֹ֥ות תִּרְדֹּ֣ף כָּ֭רוּחַ נְדִבָתִ֑י וּ֝כְעָ֗ב עָבְרָ֥ה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃

I have been reduced to nothing. You have taken away my desire like a wind, and my health has passed by like a cloud.

16 וְעַתָּ֗ה עָ֭לַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשִׁ֑י יֹ֖אחֲז֣וּנִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

But now my soul withers within myself, and the days of affliction take hold of me.

17 לַ֗יְלָה עֲ֭צָמַי נִקַּ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י לֹ֣א יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃

At night, my bone is pierced with sorrows, and those who feed on me, do not sleep.

18 בְּרָב־כֹּ֖חַ יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ לְבוּשִׁ֑י כְּפִ֖י כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃

By the sheer number of them my clothing is worn away, and they have closed in on me like the collar of my coat.

19 הֹרָ֥נִי לַחֹ֑מֶר וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּעָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃

I have been treated like dirt, and I have been turned into embers and ashes.

20 אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע אֵ֭לֶיךָ וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֵ֑נִי עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן בִּֽי׃

I cry to you, and you do not heed me. I stand up, and you do not look back at me.

21 תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ לְאַכְזָ֣ר לִ֑י בְּעֹ֖צֶם יָדְךָ֣ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃

You have changed me into hardness, and, with the hardness of your hand, you oppose me.

22 תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי אֶל־ר֖וּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי תְּשֻׁוֶּה (תּוּשִׁיָּֽה)׃

You have lifted me up, and, placing me as if on the wind, you have thrown me down powerfully.

23 כִּֽי־יָ֭דַעְתִּי מָ֣וֶת תְּשִׁיבֵ֑נִי וּבֵ֖ית מֹועֵ֣ד לְכָל־חָֽי׃

I know that you will hand me over to death, where a home has been established for all the living.

24 אַ֣ךְ לֹא־בְ֭עִי יִשְׁלַח־יָ֑ד אִם־בְּ֝פִידֹ֗ו לָהֶ֥ן שֽׁוּעַ׃

Truly, then, you do not extend your hand in order to consume them, and if they fall down, you will save them.

25 אִם־לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־יֹ֑ום עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֹֽון׃

Once, I wept over him who was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.

26 כִּ֤י טֹ֣וב קִ֭וִּיתִי וַיָּ֣בֹא רָ֑ע וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה לְ֝אֹ֗ור וַיָּ֥בֹא אֹֽפֶל׃

I expected good things, but evil things have come to me. I stood ready for light, yet darkness burst forth.

27 מֵעַ֖י רֻתְּח֥וּ וְלֹא־דָ֗מּוּ קִדְּמֻ֥נִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

My insides have seethed, without any rest, for the days of affliction have prevented it.

28 קֹדֵ֣ר הִ֭לַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃

I went forth mourning, without anger, and rising up, I cried out in confusion.

29 אָ֭ח הָיִ֣יתִי לְתַנִּ֑ים וְ֝רֵ֗עַ לִבְנֹ֥ות יַעֲנָֽה׃

I was the brother of snakes, and the companion of ostriches.

30 עֹ֖ורִי שָׁחַ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְעַצְמִי־חָ֝֗רָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב׃

My skin has become blackened over me, and my bones have dried up because of the heat.

31 וַיְהִ֣י לְ֭אֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י לְקֹ֣ול בֹּכִֽים׃

My harp has been turned into mourning, and my pipes have been turned into a voice of weeping.